刚刚！暴跌900点，大跳水！

Market Overview - The Japanese stock market opened lower and experienced significant declines, with the Nikkei 225 index dropping over 900 points and falling below the 40,000 mark, resulting in a daily decline of more than 2% [1][2] - The Japanese yen also saw a sharp decline against the US dollar, while the 5-year Japanese government bond yield fell by 9 basis points to 0.99% [1] Banking Sector Impact - The banking sector faced a collective downturn, with the Tokyo Stock Exchange Bank Index dropping over 4% [2] - Notable declines in individual bank stocks included Mizuho Financial Group down nearly 5%, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Chiba Bank, and Fukuoka Financial down over 4%, and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial down 3.90% [2] Economic and Monetary Policy Insights - The Bank of Japan maintained its policy interest rate at 0.5%, marking the fourth consecutive meeting without changes since the rate was raised from 0.25% earlier this year [2] - The Bank of Japan revised its core CPI inflation forecast for fiscal years 2025 to 2027, increasing the expected inflation rate from 2.2% to 2.7% for 2025, driven by rising food prices [3] - The Bank of Japan acknowledged the strong momentum of inflation and indicated a potential shift towards tightening monetary policy, including possible interest rate hikes [3][4] Future Rate Hike Expectations - A survey indicated that approximately 42% of economists expect the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in October, an increase from 32% in a previous survey [4] - While no consensus exists for a rate hike in September, about 25% of respondents believe it could happen as early as next month, with 60% suggesting October as the earliest possibility [4] Investment Strategy Adjustments - Norinchukin Bank's CEO announced a cautious approach following a $12 billion loss in US Treasury investments, emphasizing the need to correct previous investment imbalances [5] - The bank plans to diversify its investment portfolio and reduce exposure to long-term Japanese government bonds, focusing on dynamic adjustments based on yield curves [5]